Because we've waited, because we've turned our backs on nature's warning signs, and because our political and corporate leaders have consistently ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence, the challenges we face are much more difficult. But they can be overcome, if we act now.

Failure to do so will be catastrophic, but the opportunity of today’s generation to build a green industrial transformation is huge. We are the first generation, thanks to science, to be informed that we may be undermining the ability of planet earth to support human development as we know it. And for the first time in human history, we have the technology & tools to feed a growing population through improved land use, sustainable agricultural practices and increased productivity. Crucial to our success will be designing a new circular economy that delivers prosperity for all within our planetary boundaries.

The creation of a better, cleaner, and sustainable world is happening but the transition needs to be faster, for the sake of our children. As the Earth’s population rises to an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050, we must speed up the movement to build food security and find a safe operating space for humanity. While big business is taking a lead where governments have failed, the fact so many people, including many who regard themselves as environmentalists, fail to comprehend the true scale of what is happening is one of the biggest challenges we face.

GDP is a crude measure of our progress as it ignores environmental & social costs. Its time for a more sensible metric like the Genuine Progress Indicator which takes GDP and subtracts the negative outcomes and accounts for the costs of growth and overconsumption.

Actions taken by all of us can change our path. We all depend upon the natural world for survival. It’s now time to protect it.